The determination of exchangeable bases in soils, Magnesium, potassium and total bases

Abstract

(1) Exchangeable magnesium and potassium can be determined in carbonate-free soils by the use of 0.5 N acetic acid as a leaching agent.(2) A method is described for the determination of the total exchangeable bases present as acetates in the leachings.(3) The results obtained by this method differ from those obtained by summation of separate determinations by an amount equivalent to the sulphates and chlorides present.(4) It is suggested that the total exchangeable bases by the proposed method gives a truer measure of the exchangeable bases than methods in which bases present as sulphates and chlorides are also reckoned in.